OKLAHOMA CITY – Once Tarec Saffiedine got the momentum and unloaded a vicious series of low kicks, Nate Marquardt became a hobbled and easy target.

It carried Saffiedine to an upset win and his first major championship belt in what was the final event for his longtime home.

The welterweight title fight headlined “Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine” at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. It aired on Showtime following prelims on Showtime Extreme.

After two evenly rounds, Saffiedine took control with damaging low kicks that proved the difference-maker in the five-round fight, which was the final bout of Strikeforce’s final card.

After a feeling-out process, Saffiedine briefly wobbled the champ with a retreating jab and then clinched against the cage. Marquardt, though, quickly recovered and traded leg kicks before clinching and jockeying for position against the cage. After the evenly matched first round, Saffiedine again dazed Marquardt with a head kick and immediately fought off his takedown attempt. But the champ stuck with it and scored a trip-takedown. Once back up, the fighters fought for position against the cage, Saffiedine avoided takedowns, and the striking remained evenly matched for the reaminder of the round.

In the third round, though, Saffiedine’s low kicks became more accurate and damaging, his takedown defense remained effective, and he avoided any damage in the clinch. As Marquardt’s lead leg swelled from the kicks, Saffiedine clearly took the edge heading into the championship rounds.

Once there, a hobbled Marquardt became a flat-footed target. Marquardt unloaded a flurry of punches, but each low kick shut down the advances and nearly knocked the champ off his feet. By the time Saffiedine closed out the fight, his opponent’s badly battered and bruised thigh had swollen to nearly twice its size.

It carried Saffiedine to a unanimous-decision victory via 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 scores.

With Strikeforce, once the UFC’s chief competitor before being bought out by the worldwide MMA leader, closing shop, much of its top talent is headed to the UFC. Saffiedine undoubtedly will be part of the group, and the Belgian made special mention of the organization that put him on the map.

“I can’t believe I’m wearing the belt right now,” he said. “I want to thank Strikeforce for being by my side for so long.”

Saffiedine (13-3 MMA, 5-1 SF) now looks to ply his trade in the UFC on the strength of a 7-1 run and three straight victories. Marquardt (32-11-2 MMA, 1-1 SF), meanwhile, hopes a 1-1 run in Strikeforce, which included a title win over Tyron Woodley, is enough to get him back in his former home at the UFC.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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